Holiday thefts hit 19 homes

Saturday

A rash of burglaries on Christmas Eve and the early hours of Christmas morning appear to have targeted houses left empty for the holidays.

Shortly after midnight yesterday, Columbia police officers responded to a report of a burglary at 1539 Rolling Rock Drive, just off Rock Quarry Road in south Columbia.

Police determined 12 more homes on that street had been burglarized. The thieves forced entry through front or rear doors or broke open windows to reach through and unlock doors.

Columbia police said the Rolling Rock burglaries were part of 19 identified in a small area yesterday spanning several subdivisions. In addition to Rolling Rock Drive, homes were hit on Marquis Court, Santa Rosa Court and Commercial Drive. The burglars mainly took small electronics and flat-screen televisions. Police are working to identify related cases.

Columbia police spokeswoman Jessie Haden said the incidents are part of a disturbing spike in home burglaries over the past two months. Police received reports of 42 residential burglaries in November and have already received 72 in December.

Columbia police in recent weeks arrested 13 people for home burglaries in which suspects are believed to have snatched items such as iPods, television sets and computers to turn a quick profit by selling them on the street.

But the arrests, police said, do not appear to have slowed down burglaries targeting electronics, a crime that continues to plague the city.

“The 19 reports coming in last night have us appealing to the community for assistance,” Haden said. “Inclement weather, news media coverage and increased police scrutiny often serve to deter burglars. However, this particular group of burglars continues to engage in criminal behavior.”

Residents in the area yesterday said they were stunned by the news of so many burglaries on Christmas Eve.

“That’s scary because we were here last night. And I park in the garage so it looks like no one’s home,” said Deanna Edwards, who lives across the street from one of the houses burglarized on Santa Rosa Court. “I always lock my doors, but, still, it’s scary to hear that.”

John Pruski, who lives on nearby Northampton Drive, said the south Columbia neighborhood is generally safe.

“It’s a mix, mostly working-class people and college kids,” Pruski said of the residents of rows of identical duplexes lining streets in the area. “It’s a quiet neighborhood. All the people I’ve seen here are good folks.”

But Pruski said houses left empty this time of year by people on winter break from college or away on vacation attract the attention of criminals.

“You’ve got a draw here,” he said. “There’s always going to be those who are going to look at neighborhoods where they think there’s money.”

Haden said police are working diligently to map out the burglaries and try to identify where future incidents might occur. Strategies might include shifts in scheduling, additional staffing and covert surveillance, she said.

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